In Sunday’s 27-26 PSAL 4A city championship victory over Erasmus Hall, Curtis scored all of its points in the second half and overtime. While the headlines were dominated by skill players like wide receiver Kacy Royal, quarterback Vincent Canzonerian, and running back Nick Moukazis, the Warriors offensive line also deserves recognition.
Including left tackle, the all-senior O-LineAshton Wilson, center; Randy Telleria, left guardThe right guard, John ReichertUgochukwu The right tackle and Emeka IkpegbuIn addition to setting up Moukazis’ 1-yard game-winning score in the second overtime, Juan Millan Sanchez performed admirably against EHall’s formidable defensive front.
The Warriors amassed nearly 300 yards of offense and only gave up one sack thanks to the offensive linemen, who offered strong pass protection during Canzoneri’s two touchdown passes to Royal, one for 25 yards in regulation and the other for 18 yards in overtime.
Curtis HC Peter Gambardella reverses time.
CurtisThe former Curtis star wide receiver-linebacker, Peter Gambardella, has been the head coach of the Warriors for 17 years. For more than ten years before taking over as head coach, he was an assistant to the late great Fred Olivier.
Gambardella has participated in all eight of Curtis’ PSAL top-tier city titles, including the inaugural one in 1998, along with longtime defensive assistant Peter McNamara.
Additionally, the fact that Sunday’s game went into overtime reminded me of the 1998 final matchup with Lehman, who had not lost yet. 26 years ago, on the same Midwood High School field in Brooklyn, the Warriors upset the Lions 20-14 in double overtime.
There, we had some nostalgia (after going into overtime). “We were at that end (of the field) in 1998, double overtime to Lehman,” Gambardella said, alluding to the end zone where the Warriors’ first title game concluded. I responded, “We want to go down there,” when they asked us if we wanted to go on Sunday.
Of course, kicker Ibrahim Alkasimi’s extra-point after Moukazi’s 1-yard touchdown run made it 27-20, solidifying the Warriors’ victory in the title game on Sunday. Ameir Morrow’s 7-yard TD run on fourth down gave the Dutchmen a touchdown on their second overtime possession, but the extra-point try missed to the right, preventing them from forcing a third overtime session.
Having his son, junior and two-year starting linebacker Anthony Gambardella, on the squad added even more significance to Gambardella’s most recent championship, his fourth since taking over as head coach.
The wide receiver pack leaders
On Sunday, Curtis starter quarterback Anthony Caratelli and reserve quarterback Canzoneri combined for seven of the ten completions against the Dutchmen, with senior Royal and Evan Dukes being their preferred targets.
Most significantly, several of the grabs occurred at crucial moments.
Both of the St. George school’s touchdown receptions went through the air, and Royal tied for the game record with 63 receiving yards on three catches. The Dukes’ 50-yard punt return for a touchdown the previous play was ruled invalid due to a holding call, so his 25-yard reception couldn’t have come at a better moment. To equalize the score at 13–13, Royal sprinted along the left sideline after catching the Canzoneri pass in stride.
Then, with the Warriors behind 20–13 in the first overtime, Royal produced a fantastic full-speed catch in the left end zone.
Dukes, on the other hand, was an unsung hero in the second overtime when he made a spectacular diving catch on a crucial third-and-11 play to set up Moukazis’ game-winning touchdown two plays later. Dukes finished with a game-high four catches for 39 yards.
Stars on defense
In the third and fourth quarters, how effective was Curtis’ defense? Let’s simply say that they enabled the victorious comeback.
In the final two quarters of regulation, the Warriors held the Dutchmen to a total of only 38 yards, including eight yards via the air. Most significantly, Curtis forced five punts and gave up just two first downs.
Among the many players that contributed to the Warriors defense were defensive back Akai Lewis (seven tackles, interception, and fumble recovery) and linebacker Javon Mitchell (game-high 12 tackles, TFL, and forced fumble). You could also frequently find junior guard Jarrett Serate (four tackles), senior linebacker Saquonne Lawton (five tackles), and Anthony Gambardella (four tackles) near the ball.
Senior defensive lineman Dereck Bautista Gil recorded the Warriors’ only sack of the game for a 7-yard loss two plays after sophomore lineman Marcus Stafford made a strong hit in the fourth quarter that resulted in a 6-yard TFL by Mitchell.
Curtis, coach of linebackersWhen Curtis won it all in 2002, Damian McCaig, who has served as the Warriors’ assistant for the past three PSAL city titles, was a standout running back and linebacker.
Based on the figures
The Warriors were ahead in first downs (15-11, including 7-3 in the second half and overtime), passing yards (130-107), rushing yards (162-152), and total yards (292-259). However, Richard Paul, Devin Pigott (2), and Jahsear Harris helped the Dutchmen intercept four passes in the first half, which helped them win the turnover battle 4-2… Erasmus received 15 flags for 103 yards (12 in the second half and overtime), while Curtis had six flags for 53 yards. Morrow gained 31 yards in the first quarter and carried the ball 27 times for 93 yards. EHall’s top receiver, senior Lyrick Conroy Samuel, with three receptions for 63 yards.
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